1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a hair dryer with a rigid bonnet which is lowered over a user's head and into which heated air is blown for hair drying purposes. More particularly, the inventive hair dryer includes an integral stereo audio system with a pair of stereo earphones or speakers which are physically built into the rigid bonnet, with one speaker placed proximate to each ear of the user. An alternative embodiment utilizes a soft bonnet with an integral pair of stereo speakers physically included therewith. In either embodiment, an audio jack is connected to the speakers and a removable external audio cable allows the speakers to be connected to any suitable source of audio information or entertainment. In either embodiment, the speakers can also be connected, via the external audio cable, to lap top computers and video games. In both embodiments, an air deflector may be placed around the speakers within the bonnet such that heated air is not blown directly onto the speakers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hair dryers equipped with bonnets through which heated air is blown to dry a user's hair have been known for some time. This type of hair dryer is a staple of commercial hair salons since it dries hair much faster, more evenly and more thoroughly than hand held "blow dryers". Bonnet style hair dryers for home consumer use have also been available, but in recent years have largely been superseded by hand held blow dryers. One problem with bonnet style hair dryers for home use is the need for the user to remain stationary for a relatively long time period. This situation, coupled with the necessity to wear a bonnet which prevents the user from accessing audio entertainment or information such as radio, television audio, music sources, computers, lap top computers and video games with audio signals, has limited the popularity and marketability of consumer-oriented bonnet-style hair dryers.
It is clear then, that a need exists for a bonnet style hair dryer which allows a user to access audio entertainment or information while the hair dryer is in use. At the same time, such a hair dryer should be attractive, relatively simple and economical to produce and sell, should not incorporate unnecessary electronic components which are subject to failure during the life of the hair dryer, and should be selectively connectable to any suitable audio entertainment or information source.
There are problems associated with incorporating audio speakers into bonnet type hair dryers. The dryer fan, the fan motor, and the flow of air propelled by the fan all generate noise which interferes with the quality of sound projected from the speakers. In the soft bonnet dryers, the speakers are positioned in close proximity to the ears of the user, and there is less degradation of sound for this reason. The bonnet or hood of the hard bonnet type dryer is oversized to accommodate hair styling devices such as rollers and is sized with several inches of clearance about the head of the user. Such oversizing positions the speakers several inches from the user's ears.
The dryer bonnet speakers are intended for use with a wide variety of audio sources ranging from small personal FM radios and handheld television sets, to larger portable radio/tape player combinations, up to conventional home stereo system components. The smaller radios, cassette and CD (compact disc) players, and handheld televisions usually have low power audio outputs on the order of a half watt or less. Larger portable audio sources tend to have power outputs in the range of five or ten watts. Home stereo systems tend to have much higher power outputs. Many audio sources have a headphone jack which connects to a preamp stage of the device and which disconnects the signal input to the power amplifier. This provides a low power audio signal to the headphones with control of volume and tone available to the listener.
Listeners of audio programs through bonnet hair dryer speakers tend to turn the volume of the source up to overcome the interfering noise of the dryer itself and to compensate for the loss of volume and tone from the more distantly spaced speakers of the hard bonnet type dryers. When the listener disconnects the speaker cable from the headphone jack of a higher power audio source without turning the volume down, a high volume level audio signal is abruptly switched to the main speakers. This can be startling and, additionally, may cause damage to the main speakers. Thus, there is a need for increasing the volume of audio from dryer bonnet speakers, particularly those mounted in a hard bonnet dryer, without increasing the source volume level.